Synopsis
In a cyberpunk future, an alarming disease strikes, dissolving the bones of those with cybernetic enhancements. Petya, a refugee, sells himself to a company experimenting with a potential cure and instead finds himself with a strange new implant… and a vampiric hunger for teeth.
Petya only wanted a short trial with easy money, and now he’s at the mercy of a company hell-bent on market control, even if it means turning him into their personal pharmaceutical assassin.
They’re out for political power, and Petya is out for an escape and teeth.
Review
Toothsucker is a genuinely creative and imaginative piece of worldbuilding, blending vampiric lore with a fully realized cyberpunk setting in a way that feels seamless rather than gimmicky. The technology isn’t just window dressing either. It actively shapes who these characters are and how their arcs unfold, which gives the world a lived-in, purposeful feel rather than just serving as an aesthetic backdrop.
The cast is well developed and memorable, with enough distinct personalities and voices that they stick with you well after you’ve put the book down. Pairing that strong character work with the book’s pacing is where Toothsucker really shines: the story moves at a rapid, addictive clip that makes it hard to put down, without ever feeling like it’s sacrificing depth for speed.
If there’s a soft spot, it’s that some of the relationships between characters can read as a bit juvenile at times, which occasionally undercuts the otherwise sharp character work elsewhere in the book. That said, it’s a minor knock against a book that is otherwise bursting with imagination.
Overall, Toothsucker is a fun, fast, and creative read that fans of both cyberpunk and vampire fiction should have a great time with. The worldbuilding alone makes it worth picking up, and the pacing will keep you turning pages long after you meant to stop.
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